Steering and propulsion for submarines.



J. M; CAGE.

STEERING AND PROPULSION FOR SUBMARINES.

APPLlCATlON FILED OCT. 26.1914.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918..

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JOHN M, CAGE, or Lone iznacn, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE essren'iunn'rs, T0 L. A. SUBIVLARINETBOAT COMPANY, or LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

STEERING Ann PROPULSION FOR SUBMARINES.

To all whom it may concern:

. .Be it known that I, JoHN M. GAGE, a citizen of-the United States, residing at Long Beach, in the county of Los-Angeles, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steering and Propulsion forSulomarines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the subjectmatter of steering and general control of submarines; being in the nature of a continuation along these specified lines of my former applications, Serial Numbers 634,784 and 738,- 745, filed June 22, 1 911, and Dec; 26, 1912, respectively.

e a The fundamental distinction of this present invention is the combination in a submarine of propulsion mechanism including a propeller arranged near the bow of the ves- .sel-and control mechanism including rudders arranged near the stern of the vessel (or forwardand rearward of the center'of buoyancy or center of gravity, respectively). By extended experimentation andtrial I have found that-such a combination leads to. distinctive and novel results in the control of a submarine; and I have found that this method of control has utilities in a submarine which it has notin an ordinary surface vessel. I am awarethat surfacevessels have been propelled with propellers forward of the rudders; but in surface vessels such a combination and suchcontrol does not lead away, showing a submarine equipped with.

my invention, and Fig. 2 the same. I a

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates is a plan showing a .hull. or body of'l-a submarine. vessel with bow 10* and stern 10". Within the hull,--at a which the boat is diving. When this angle position depending upon the interior arrangement and general design, I place my power plant, such as internal combustion engines indicated at 11 These engines are preferably in pairs and drive a pair of propeller shafts .12 carrying propellers 13 on their forward end near the bow of the boat Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct s, 1918.

' Application filed October 26, 1914. Serial No. 868,569.

and forward of the center of gravity or the center of buoyancy thereof.

The steering mechanism may include both vertical control and horizontal control rudders 14 and 15. The horizontal control rudder 15 is mounted on a vertical pivot as shown and maybe controlled from a wheel 16 through the medium of shafting or other connection 17. The vertical control rudders may be mounted upon acommon horizontal axis 18 and operated from a wheel 19 through the medium of shafting and other'connections 20. Both of these control rudders are of gravity and center, of buoyancy of the hull. 1

The peculiar efficiency of control due to my combination and arrangement relates placed near the stern well behind the center particularly to the accuracy, efficiency and perfection of vertical control as torising and driving of the submarine. I will explain how the-results of my system are different from those of the ordinary systems of controlling and propelling submarines. In the ordinary submarine the vessel is pushed from behind instead of being pulled in front. When an ordinary submarine is caused to 'dive, by the'use of its diving rudders, if the nose of the boat sinks downward beyond a certain angle, the boat being propelled forwardly, theaction of the water above and ahead of the boat banking up? on the submarine causes the submarine to very quickly dive more. steeply and to ultimately dive practically straight downwardly. This has ,been a more or less common experience, well known to operators of submarines. It s the ordinary practice in submerging or d v ng a submarine to submerge the boat on an even keel it is dangerous to submerge theboat on an uneven keel; or while the boat is being propelled. The cause of this action seems to be essentially due to the fact that the boat is pushed or propelled from behind an d'that, H

when the boat starts to dive, the rear pro pelled end tends to move forwardlyover the bow, thus tending to increase the angle at has increased to a certain amount, the boat becomes uncontrollable and will go on diving in spite of all that can be done with the rudders.

When my submarine is running on the surface, say, and it is desired to dive below the surface, this can be readily accoi'nplished by simple manipulation of the diving or vertical control rudders. In the ordinary submarine, if the dive is effected by the rudders alone, the effect is to sink the nose of the vessel without raising the stern; in so far as the vessel can be said to turn about any fixed point, the ordinary submarine turnsabout its stern or about its point of propulsion. When the dive is effected under my arrangement, the stern rises to an appreciable degree as the dive starts and the stern is then pulled under Water by the propellers driving the boat onacourse parallel to its own axis. The diving action is very similar to that of a fish when it swims at the surface and suddenly dives under, the tail appearing for a brief instant and then being drawn under. In other words, my submarine turns about a point forward of the stern.

With my arrangement it is possible to submerge a submarine traveling at full.

speed without changing the ballast; it is possible to do thisalmost instantaneously; it is possible to hold the submarine, while run ning, below the surface and to come to the surfacemomentarily without lightening the ballast. And it is possible, and has been proven by experiments and tests, to dive at a very steep angle and to keep the'submarine under perfect control at all times. This ability to dive almost instantaneously and to come to the surface whenever desired, is of extreme importance in submarine maneuvering; Conditions of actual warfare requirethat a submarine shall be able to quickly submerge" to avoid danger and to quickly come to the surface when it is necessary to obtain bearings; and it is also of very great importance, and gives a submarine a great advantage, to be able to travel awash'and to utilize atmosphericair instead of stored air,fa'nd at the same time to be able to dive quickly when necessary. The ordinary'submarine must travel a greatproportion of" the time submerged, when in 'actual'warfare, dueto the fact that it can- Copies of t' hi s patent may be obtained for r Washington, I). c,-

not submerge. but slowly. here there is a chance of running into danger, the ordinarysubmarine must travel submerged and 'this'fact greatly'limits itsuseful radius of action On the. other hand, my submarine 'may travel awash except when in actual danger and even then itmay momentarily come to the surface from time to time to obgravity of the hull.

exclusively near the stem;

said rudders.

day of October 1914.f

the hull, and steering mechanism including a vertical control rudder exclusively tothe rear of the'center of gravity of the hull.

2. In submarines, a hull, driving mechanism therefor including a propeller exclusively forward of the centerofgravityi'of V the hull, and steering mechanism therefor including vertical and lateral control rudders'exclusively to the rear of thecenterlof 3. In submarines,"a hull, driving mechanism therefore including a propeller exclusively near the bow, and steering mechanism therefor including a' vertical control rudder 4. In submarines, a hull, driving mecha nism therefor including a propeHerexclusively near the bow, and steering mechanism therefor including vertical and lateral control ruddersexclusively near the stern;

5. In asubmarine'boat, the combination 7 with a 'hull having rudders mounted on a horizontal axis ateach side of the hull adjacent the stern thereof, of propellers for the hull mounted near the bow thereof-in substantially the same plane as the -axis of said rudders, said rudders and propellers being disposed one in'the way of the other so that'currents set up" by'said propellers the zon of actionj'of will be carried into 6. In a subm'arineb'oat, the combinationwith a hull having rudders mounted ona horizontal axis at each side of thehull exclusively adjacent the stern thereof, of'propeller's for the hull mounted exclusively near the bow thereof in substantially the same plane'as theaxis of said rudders, said rudders and propellers being disposed one in the way of the other so that currentssetup"bysaid propellerswill be car i d int g action of said rudders. o 1

In witness that"Ic1aIim the foregoingI have hereunto subscribed my name this 16th v ."dJOI-IN ML Witnesses? 1 'JAsI-LBALLA GH, i

.JAMES-T. BARKELEW,

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or Patents, 

